


Dream Catch Me

by the10amongstthese3s



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Anne is trying her best, Beheaded Cousins, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Kitty is a nervous baby, Nightmares, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21566446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the10amongstthese3s/pseuds/the10amongstthese3s
Summary: The dark can be a terrifying thing. The nightmares that come with it are even worse.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 170





	Dream Catch Me

Fears seem to fester in the dark; growing, evolving until you can focus on nothing else. The queens learnt that fact quickly, all dreading the ghosts of their past lives that lurked in the cover of night.

For some, like Anne Boleyn, nighttime lead to anxiety. Fear of the dark that kept her from sleeping, night after night. Nobody ever commented on the fact her bedroom door was always open. Nor did they complain when she insisted that the light in the hallway be on at all times.

For others, like Catherine Parr, the nighttime meant valuable research time that she couldn’t afford to waste. Sleep was nothing but an inconvenience to the woman. Instead, she opted to spend most nights at her desk, ignoring the voices in her head, taunting her with the knowledge that no matter how hard she searched, she may never find out what happened to her daughter. Her body’s cries for rest usually went unanswered until around 4am, when her head would eventually find its way to her desk, her eyes fluttering shut against her will.

Then came Katherine Howard.

Unlike the other queens, Kit managed to fall asleep perfectly fine most nights. The problem came after she drifted off though, when she was all alone in the dark, completely vulnerable to the forces of evil that lingered in the shadows.

Every single night, Kit was plagued by awful dreams. Harrowing nightmares that shook her to her very core. It wasn’t uncommon for her to wake up on the ground after wriggling about so much in bed trying to escape imaginary pursuers. No matter how many times she told herself they were just figments of her imagination though, Kit couldn’t help shivering at the memories, very real tears rolling down her cheeks as panic engulfed her.

The other queens knew of these bad dreams but nobody realised just how bad they were. They didn’t see the girl sobbing into her pillow for hours afterwards, or forcing herself to breathe through a panic attack.

That is, until one particularly bad night.

It was 3am when screams sounded throughout the house, shocking the queens awake. The dishevelled group all immediately raced to the source of the noise, expecting to find a burglar or maybe a wild animal that had somehow gotten inside the house. Not just inside the house, but inside the bedroom of their youngest housemate. Their sweet, vulnerable Kit. 

To their surprise though, all they found when they charged through the bedroom door was a duvet with a small, shivering shape wrapped up beneath it. 

“Kit?” Cleves called quietly, the first to snap out of her shock.

Immediately, the sobs filling the room grew quiet and the lump beneath the covers began to shake even harder. The poor girl was terrified.

Knowing the panicking teenager needed to calm down before she spiralled, Jane opted to take a turn next, hoping to ease her anxiety. “Kitty? It’s just us, love. Nothing to be afraid of,” Jane hummed in a reassuring tone, watching with a concerned frown as the girl pulled the duvet away just enough to peek out at them.

There they stood, five Tudor Queens. All staring at her. All worried for her. 

Anne was the next to make a move, seeing that Kit was in a sort of trance. “Looks like my Kitten’s having a rough night, huh?” She asked in an uncharacteristically gentle voice. Thankfully though, it worked. Kit gave a small nod, hesitating for a moment before reaching for Anne, prompting the older girl to crawl onto the bed beside her.

As soon as she felt Anne’s arms wrap around her, Kit burst into tears, burying her face in her cousin’s shoulder. “I’m here now, kid. You’re safe,” Anne whispered, doing her best to hush the girl. Kit knew Anne was safe. She became as fierce as a lion when it came to protecting her family. Kit was forever grateful for that fact, especially now as she curled up in her comforting embrace.

It took a while for Kit’s whimpers to cease but Anne was happy to hold her until they did, occasionally offering soothing words to ease the girl. 

Once she did calm down, Anne helped Kit to lay down, holding her close under the covers. “Want me to stay?” Anne asked quietly, earning a nod from the exhausted girl. “How about the others?” 

Kit hadn’t even noticed that the other queens were still watching from the doorway. Giving a small smile, the girl nodded, prompting Jane to rush out of the room, returning a moment later with an assortment of blankets and pillows. 

Not wanting to overwhelm the fragile teen by piling into the bed, the four remaining queens made a nest of blankets on the bedroom floor. They were all happy to sleep on the ground so long as it would bring Kit some peace of mind. Her safety was a million times more important than their comfort.

After that night, Kit spent most nights cuddled up in Anne’s bed with the older girl. Being together helped both girls to relax, though Anne swore to the others that she was just being a good cousin if they brought it up. The group knew otherwise. It was obvious by how much more Anne was sleeping now. They hadn’t noticed just how sleep-deprived she’d been until they met the new, well-rested Anne. Kit was the same. Having someone there to comfort her after her nightmares meant she could fall back asleep after them now instead of spending hours crying, staring at walls as she prayed for sunrise.

It was because of these events that Kit came home to find a rather peculiar redecoration in Anne’s room around a week later.

Six strange looking ‘things’ hung on the wall at the head of the bed, a few more hanging in the windows and one on the door. They were pretty, Kit had to admit. Each was slightly different, all corresponding with the queens’ token colours of green and pink. 

Standing in the doorway, Anne couldn’t hold back any longer. “What do you think?” She asked with a grin, making Kit turn to face her with a raised eyebrow.

“They’re pretty but… what are they?”

Anne just smiled wider at this, not seeming at all offended by Kit’s lack of enthusiasm. “These are called dreamcatchers. Parr told me about them once. People have been using them for protection for hundreds of years. Native American originally,” Anne explained, gesturing to the new adornments, “see how they look like spiderwebs? Well instead of catching flies, they catch dreams. The good ones pass through of course, but they keep the bad ones until the sunlight can eat them. Dreams have no power over us once the sun is up, remember? Just like Jane says.”

Unsure how else to respond, Kit rushed into her cousin’s arms, holding her close for a moment before smiling up at her. 

“Thanks, Annie. You’re the best!” 

The older girl couldn't help smirking at this, pulling away just enough to press a kiss to Kit's temple. “Anything for my Kitten.”

Whether it was the dreamcatchers hard at work or simply just the comfort of knowing her cousin would always protect her, nobody could tell, but Kit’s nightmares became less and less frequent after that. 

Slowly but surely, the queens would evolve, leaving their demons in the darkness as they danced in each other’s light. The darkness may have been daunting but side by side, they’d get through it. 

Together.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Sorry if the ending was a little bit cheesy - my brain has been complete mush the past few days. I hope you enjoyed it!! 🦆


End file.
